UK vehicle statistics / Lotus

How many Lotus Europa cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 385 licensed and 271 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Lotus Europa generic-model group.

Looking at a Europa?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Europa is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Europa disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 415 in 2024 Q3 and stand at 385 in 2026 Q1, down 7%. That is up 11% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 271 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 656 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Fuel

DfT codes every vehicle in the Lotus Europa generic-model group as petrol.

Before you buy

  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 656 Europa vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (271 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Europa — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1385271
2025 Q4386267
2025 Q3400250
2025 Q2394250
2025 Q1395249
2024 Q4398240
2024 Q3415218
2024 Q2404224
2024 Q1392232
2023 Q4379238
2023 Q3394220
2023 Q2392223
2023 Q1384228
2022 Q4375241
2022 Q3387220
2022 Q2378224
2022 Q1362232
2021 Q4360235
2021 Q3361224
2021 Q2364216
2021 Q1347228
2020 Q4334241
2020 Q3351227
2020 Q2344221
2020 Q1336229
2019 Q4334234
2019 Q3347212
2019 Q2354202
2019 Q1339203
2018 Q4327215
2018 Q3332205
2018 Q2333202
2018 Q1291226
2017 Q4285234
2017 Q3302215
2017 Q2303214
2017 Q1305207
2016 Q4308215
2016 Q3322201
2016 Q2326189
2016 Q1311196
2015 Q4314195
2015 Q3321181
2015 Q2320174
2015 Q1306179
2014 Q4313188
2014 Q3330174

Other Lotus models

See how many of every Lotus model are left

Common questions

How many Lotus Europa cars are left in the UK?

385 were licensed and 271 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Lotus Europa cars are SORN?

271 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 656 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Europa disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 415 in 2024 Q3 and stand at 385 in 2026 Q1, down 7%. That is up 11% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 271 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 656 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What fuel is the Europa coded as?

DfT codes every vehicle in the Lotus Europa generic-model group as petrol.

Does this say whether one Europa is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.